Vegan Eggplant Rollatini Food

VEGAN EGGPLANT ROLLATINI

Steps:

• Break up the pressed tofu with your hands into large pieces and place in a food processor. Add the lemon juice, yogurt, vinegar, nutritional yeast, garlic, onion, and salt. Pulse 4-5 until you've reached desired consistency (it should have texture). Add more yogurt if it's dry or add a splash of milk, oil or water. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Now add the optional basil and pulse until you see green flecks.
• Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C). Place approximately 1 cup of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 13X9 baking dish to lightly coat. Set aside.
• Sprinkle each side of the eggplant slices with salt. You can spread them out in a colander over the sink or on a baking rack with a pan underneath. Let them sit for 15-20 minutes. This will release moisture, soften them and remove any bitterness. When done, lightly rinse and pat dry with paper towels.
• Heat a Grill Pan over medium-high heat for a few minutes. While the pan is heating, brush oil on each side of the eggplant slices to coat well. When the pan is fully heated, add the eggplant slices, leaving some room in between. Grill for 3-4 minutes on each side or until softened and grill marks appear. Repeat until all the eggplant is grilled. (*see note for alternative to grilling)
• Let the slices cool just enough to handle. Now add 1 heaping tablespoon of tofu ricotta (more or less depending on size of slice) to the larger end of each slice and gently roll up. Place seam-side down into baking dish. Continue until everything is used up. Pour the remaining cup of marinara down the middle of eggplant slices. Add more if needed, but don't cover completely or the eggplant will turn mushy.
• Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until heat throughout. Enjoy!

VEGAN EGGPLANT ROLLATINI

Steps:

• Cut the top off of the eggplant, then slice it, lengthwise, into 1/4-inch thick slabs. You should get around 12 slices.
• Sprinkle both sides of the eggplant very generously with salt. Arrange the slices in a colander and set it in the sink to drain.
• Let the eggplant sit with the salt on it for 30 minutes.
• Rinse the eggplant slices well to remove all of the salt, then pat them dry with a towel.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Brush both sides of each eggplant slice lightly with olive oil, then arrange the slices on the baking sheets.
• Bake the eggplant for 10 to 12 minutes, just until the slices soften up a bit. Leave the oven on when you remove the eggplant.
• While the eggplant bakes, make the ricotta. Place the cashews and milk into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an s-blade.
• Blend the cashews to a relatively smooth paste, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
• Add the tofu, lemon juice, onion, garlic, basil, olives, and salt to the food processor bowl.
• Pulse the food processor until the mixture is slightly chunky, with a texture like ricotta cheese.
• Ladle 2 cups of marinara sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish (or use a couple of smaller dishes).
• Arrange an eggplant slice on a work surface, then spoon 3-4 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture over the slice, about 1/2 inch from one of the ends.
• Roll the end over the filling, then continue rolling to form a tube filled with the ricotta mixture. Place it in the baking dish.
• Repeat until all of the eggplant slices and filling have been used.
• Place the dish into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly.
• While the eggplant bakes, make the toasted panko topping. Stir the panko, oil, garlic powder and salt together in a small bowl.
• Place a medium skillet over medium heat.
• Give the skillet a minute to heat up, then add the panko mixture.
• Cook the panko mixture, stirring occasionally, for about 4-5 minutes, until the breadcrumbs begin to darken and smell like toast.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and transfer the panko to a bowl.
• Allow the eggplant rollatini to sit for about 5 minutes after coming out of the oven, then ladle the remaining cup of marinara sauce over top and sprinkle with toasted panko.
• Divide the rollatini onto plates and serve.

VEGAN EGGPLANT ROLLATINI

Steps:

• Place eggplant slices onto baking sheets and sprinkle well with sea salt or kosher salt. Let sit for 30 minutes; this will decrease the bitterness and removes excess moisture.
• Pat the slices dry, and spray them or brush them lightly with olive oil.
• Make the tomato sauce:.
• Heat the olive oil in a saucepan and saute the garlic till fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes, paste, honey, lime juice, and heat thoroughly. Toss in basil at the end, and remove from heat.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Roast eggplant till browning (about 20-30 min) flipping slices halfway through.
• While eggplant cooks, place the tofu in a bowl and crumble it with your hands. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, oregano, and spinach. Add in chopped olives. Mix it well with your hands, crumbling through fingers till it resembles a bowl of ricotta cheese.
• When eggplant is done cooking and cooled some, transfer slices to a cutting board and add about 3 tbsp of the ricotta mixture to the end of one side. Roll up from that side, and place seam down in a baking dish until you've finished rolling up all of the slices.
• Reduce oven to 350 degrees. Cover the eggplant rolls with the tomato sauce, and bake, uncovered, for about 20-25 minutes, or until hot. Serve and enjoy!

EGGPLANT ROLLATINI

Steps:

• In one shallow dish, place 1 cup of flour.
• Place two of the eggs in a second shallow dish, and beat lightly.
• In a third shallow dish, place salt, and half the pepper, and the Parmigiano in a bowl with 1/2 cup of the flour and mix with a fork or a whisk until blended.
• Dip the eggplant slices in the flour, then into the eggs, then into the flour and cheese mixture.
• Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet until hot but not smoking.
• Place the prepared eggplant slices in the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden.
• Remove from the skillet and place on paper-towel lined baking sheets to drain until cool enough to handle.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Place the drained ricotta cheese in a bowl and mash it with a fork.
• Add the last egg, the parsley, half of the shredded mozzarella, the
• remaining half of the pepper, and mix well. Set aside.
• To stuff the eggplant, place one slice of prosciutto on top of the eggplant.
• Next, drop a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on top of the prosciutto at the wider end of the eggplant slice.
• Beginning with the wider end of the eggplant, roll up, from top to bottom.
• Pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce into an 8 by 12 inch baking dish.
• Place the eggplant rolls side by side on top of the marinara sauce.
• Pour the remaining sauce over the eggplant rolls.
• Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano cheese and the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly around the edges.
• Remove from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.
• Note: To drain ricotta cheese, place it in a sieve or cheese cloth and set over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Discard the whey.
• That's it!